Australia’s degree credentials double

The percentage of Australians qualified with at least a bachelor degree has almost doubled in a decade.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows the proportion of people with tertiary education qualifications jumped to 25 per cent in 2012, up from 17 per cent in 2001.

The number with postgraduate degrees almost tripled, from 280,000 to 750,000.

The report released on Thursday shows nearly 60 per cent of all Australians have post-school qualifications.

Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson said the new figures were welcome.

“More degrees means more skilled graduates, which in turn means a more productive Australia,” she told AAP in a statement.

“If we want to remain globally competitive, we must get smarter, and these figures show we are on the right track.”

Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans said the country was on track to meet the government’s target of seeing 40 per cent of young Australians with a bachelor degree or higher by 2025.

As of this year, 37 per cent of people aged 25-34 held that level of qualification.

“The higher the skills in our workforce, the better the outlook for our economy and productivity,” Senator Evans said.

“Labor’s decision to offer a university place to all students with the desire and ability to succeed is not only transforming our universities and changing the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians, it is achieving important economic reform.”